Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-26

that; the watch can be redeemed; they don't sell
The lad painted out these phrases, one after an
other ike minute guns; but at the last word,
which rang In that stately chamber like an oath,
silence settled on father and son.
IL was broken by Mr.. Nicholson picking up the
pawn ticket. 'yohn Froggs. IS Pleasance,. he
hash of passion and disgust, "Who is John
FroggsF" he cried.
Nobody, !" said John. at was just a name"
An alias" his father commented.
~! think scarcely quite that" said the cul.
prit. Its form; they all do ii; the man seemed
10 understand; We had great deal ofrun over the
! He paused at that. for he saw his father vince
at tne picture like man physically struck; and
81 do not think said Mr. Nicholson, at last,
"that am an ungenerous father. have never
grudged you money within reason, for any avow-
aote purpose, you had just to come to me and
speak. And now find that you have forgotten all
decency and all natural feeling and actually
paWned-pawned-your mothers watch. You
must have had some temptation. will do you
did you want with this money!"
~ would rather not tell you, sill, said John at
Will only make you angry"
81 viii not be fenced with" cried his father.
There must be an end OF disingenuous answers.
Nnat old you want with this money!"
ITO lend 1t to Houston sir, said John.
v,nn thought had forbidden you to speak to that
young man?' asked the father
Yes. sir" said john; "but only met him."
Wnere?" came the deadly question.
Anu IN Dlilard-r0Om," was the damnlng an
swer. Thus, had Johns single departure from the
ruin brought instant punishment. For no other
purpose but TO see Alan would he have entered a
billiard-room; but he had desired to palliate the
NJ Irequented these disreputable hauntS upon his
own account
ings In silence; and when John stole glance at
ms fathers countenance he was abashed to see
swell" said the Ola gentleman at last, 81 can.
not not pretend not TO be simply bowed down. rose
inns morning what the world calls happy man
c napPy aI least In son OF whom 1 thought
could ne reasonably proud
But IL was beyond human nature to endure this
longer; and John Interrupted almost with
that's not the worst OF tits nothing! How could
1 Ieil you Were proud OF me? o, wish that had
H Hrown' Eui you always said was such dis
all taken up last night, and we have to pay
So'ettes fine among the six, or We'll be had up for
evidence-shedeening it is. They made me swear
10 tel you; but for my part" he CRIED bursting
into tears, 81 just wish that was dead!, And he
feii on his knees before chair and hid his face.
Nhesner his father spoke, and whether he re-
NAMED long in the room or at once departed are
points lost TO history. hOrrid turmoil OF mind
s anu 9ody; bursting sobs, broken, vanishing
lnoughts, now OF Indignation, now OF remOrse:
broken elementary whifrs OF consciousness of the
smell Of the horse-har on the chair bottom Of the
1angllng OF church bells that now began TO make
day horrible throughout the confines OF the city,
OF the hard floor that bruised his knees of the
taste OF tears that found their way into his mouth;
guess, while refuse to dwell longer on its agony
these were the whole OF Gods world for John
Nicholson.
When at last as by the touching OF a sprinp. he
returned again to clear ness OF consciousness and
even measure of composure, the bells had but
Just done ringing, and the Sabbath silence was
still marred by the patter OF belated feet. By the
CLOCK above the fire, as well as by these more
speaklngs signs, the service had not long begun;
ana the unhappy sinner, II his father had really
gone to church, might count on near two hours OF
only comparative unhapplneSs. With his father the
Superlat1ve degree returned infallibly. He knew
IL Dy every shrinking fiber In his body; he knew it
by the sudden dizzy whirling Of his brain-at the
mere thought OF that calamity. An hour and a
nan, perhaps an hour and three-Quarters II the
doctor was iong-winded, and then would begin
again that active agony from which, even in The
dull ache OF the present, ne shrank as from the
bite OF fire. He saw IN vision the family pew the
somnolent cushions, the Bibles, the psalm books.
Maria with her smelling salts, his father Sitting
spectacled and critical, and at once he was struck
WIN Indignation, not unjuStly. It was inhuman
TO go on TO church and leave sinner In suspense
UNPUBLISHED, unforgiven. And at the very touch
OF criticism the paternal sanctity was lessened;
yet the paternai terror only grew and the two
strands OF feeling pushed him In tile same direc-
ton.
And suddenly there came upon him mad fear
lest ms latner should have locked him In. The
notion had no ground in sense; 1t was probably no
more than riminiScence OF similar calamittes I'm
en- fhiiohoOd,Ior nus fathers room had always been
lShment; but 1t stuck SO vigorously In his mind
that he must Instantly approach the door and
drawer left open In the business table IL was the
money drawer, measure Of his fathers disarray:
tne money drawer-perhapsa pointing.providence!
VINO Is 10 decide, when even diviBes differ between
providence and temptation? or who sitting
calmly under his own vine, Is to pass Judgement
afraid slavishiy re6elious, ike John SshoIson oy
that particular sunday? His hand was In the
drawer. almost before his mind had conceived the
hope; and rising TO his new situation he wrote
sitting in his fathers chair and using his fathers
biottiDg-pad his pitifu1 apology and farewell:
~, my dear father, have taken the money. but
never hear OF me again. did not mean any harm
by anything, SO hope you Will try and forgive me-
wish you would say goodbye to Alexander and
Maria, Bat not II you don't want to- | could not
walt TO see you, really. Please try to forgive me-
"Your anectionate son, JOHN NICHOLSON
the coins distracted and the missive written,
he could not be gone too soon from the scenes OF
these transgressions; and remembering how his
father had once returned from church, on some
slight illness, In the middle OF the second psalm
he burst not even make a packet OF a Change OF
clothes. Attired as he was he slipped from the
paternal doors and found himself tine cool spring
air, the thin spring sunshine, and the great Sab,
bath quiet OF the city, which was now only pointed
by the cawing OF the rocks There was not a soul
In Randolph Crescent, nor soul in Queens-ferry
street. IN TINS outdoor privacy and the sense OF
escape John took heart again; and with pathetic
sense OF leavetaking he even ventured up the lane
ana STOOD awhile, strange peri at the gates OF
quaint paradise, by the west end OF St. GeOrpes
church. They were singing within, and BY a
strange chance the tune was ''St. Georges. Edin
ooiSh, "hcu wears the name, ana was first sung
In the choir Of that church. "WhO is this King OF
Glory:" went the voices from within; and to John
this was like the end OF all Christian Ob,eryances
Tor he was now To he a wild man like Ishmael and
his life was to be cast in homeless places and
with goddess people.
It was thus, with no rising sense Of the adyen-
turouS, Dut In mere deSOlattOn and despair that
ne turned his back on his native city, and set out
on loot for California, with more immediate eye
TO Glasgow. ~
CHAPTER w.
THE SECOND SOWING.
IL Is no part OF mine to narrate the adventures
OF John Nicholson, which were many but simply
his more momentous misadventures, which were
more than he desired, and, by human standards.
more than he deserved; how he reached California:
how he was rocked and robbed and beaten and
starved; how he was at last taken up by charfta.
Die folk, restored to some degree OF self-compla-
cency, and Installed as clerk in q bank In San
Francisco, 1t would take too long to tell: nor i'm
liar NichosOn1c destiny, for they were 1ust such
matters as Defell some thousands OF other young
adVenturerS In the same days and places Rut
once posted In the bank, ne fell for time into a
hlgn degree OF good fortune which, as 1t was only
longer way about TO fresh disaster, it behooves
1t was his luck 70 meet q young man in what IA
technically called q ''dive," and thanks to his
monthly wages, to extrtcate this new acauatnt-
ance from position OF present disgrace and DOssI
Ore Danger In the future. This young man WAS
the nephew OF one OF the Mob Hill magnates who
run the san francisco stock exchange much as
more numDle aaventurers, in the corner of some
simple artihce OF pea and thimble: for their own
DrOnC. that Is TO and no dtoc